One of the jobs most of us tend to avoid when it comes to home maintenance is gutter cleaning. It’s not just the fact that there is often a lot of debris and muck stored in the gutter through time, it’s the danger of getting up a ladder and trying to clean things up on your own – especially if you don’t have a spotter.
The thing is if you keep putting off this type of job, then your drains are going to suffer for it. You need your gutters and your drains to be in a good condition, because rain run-off can’t go down the drains otherwise. If you don’t clean your drains or invest in decent drain cleaning, you’re going to end up with a situation where the drains are full and that could lead to multiple issues in your home. Below, we have got a few signs that your gutters are in dire need of a clean out.
- You’re noticing water in your loft space. When your gutters have not been cleaned the water has nowhere to flow into. When this happens the water has to go somewhere, and that’s often back into your roof. When the water seeps into your roof, you end up with water leaking through your ceiling and damaging your home from the inside. The worst part about this one though, is that you often don’t know about the roof leak until it’s too late.
- You’ve noticed that your gutters have started to sag. A very good sign that your gutters need a proper clean is when they are sagging. This means they are weighed down by the amount of muck and water that is gathered up there, and you could potentially end up with your gutters landing on the floor. Organic matter can quickly turn into fertile soil, and if you have a gutter system packed with organic matter, that will tend to compost. You’ll then end up spending more money having to replace your gutters than you would have just cleaning them in the first place.
- Your home is shifting. Did you know that gutters are essential for draining water away from the home and the foundations? It’s not just the walls and the roof. Your house can shift a little bit every time you have a couple of wet days, so if you’re noticing cracks in the ceiling, it could be the gutters.
- You can see the mess. Can you look up at your gutters and see the buck poking out of the top? That’s all you need!
- It’s been a while. If you can’t remember the last time your gutters had some attention, then it’s time to get on with it. You shouldn’t leave them for too long, because most gutters should really be cleaned out at least once a year. Without cleaning them, plants can grow right out of it.
Cleaning your gutters is the next thing on your list – so complete the job and stop waiting!

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